Titans’ ONE Community Program Announces Advisory Committee

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The Tennessee Titans have announced their inaugural ONE Community Advisory Committee, which will consult and advise on the platform’s sixteen programs over the course of a one-year term. The committee features leaders in the fields of community and education who will strengthen and grow ONE Community across Middle Tennessee as well as assist with reporting and accountability measures.

The 2023 committee includes:

  • Brenda Gilmore, Tennessee State Senator (2018-2022)
  • Freda Player, Executive Director, Emerge Tennessee
  • Dr. Candice McQueen, President, Lipscomb University
  • Dr. Ricki Gibbs, Principal, Warner Elementary
  • Johari Matthews, Vice President and Executive Director, Titans Foundation
  • Gil Beverly, Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Tennessee Titans

Gilmore and Player serve as the committee’s Community Partners, with extensive experience advocating for underrepresented and marginalized communities. Gilmore served as State Senator from 2018-2022 representing the 19th District. She began her career in public service as a member of Metro Nashville Council and spent 12 years in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She is an alumnus of Tennessee State University (TSU). Gilmore is highly regarded for her service and is an advocate for community partnerships to support nonprofits and BIPOC communities.

“After serving the Nashville people for nearly three decades, I watched ‘Music City’ grow from a place of great potential into the thriving and vibrant community it is now,” says Gilmore. “With city growth, also comes a responsibility to foster expanded efforts in community impact. The Titans ONE Community platform addresses many of Nashville’s greatest needs, especially in focus areas I feel most passionately about. I look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues on the ONE Community Advisory Committee in support of these diligently crafted community programs to ensure that they benefit all of Davidson County and Tennessee.”

Player is a graduate of Fisk University with an extensive background and career in political science. She serves as Executive Director of Emerge Tennessee, and currently serves as a school board member for Metro Nashville Public Schools, representing District 7 which encompasses South Nashville’s Glencliff area. Player is also the former Political Director of Service Employer International Union (SEIU).

McQueen and Gibbs serve as the committee’s Education Partners, highlighting the importance of Education as one of three pillars for the ONE Community platform. McQueen currently serves as the 18th President of Lipscomb University. In her role as Education Commissioner under former Governor Bill Haslam, she collaborated with and monitored 147 school districts and hundreds of nonpublic and charter schools to serve the one million students across the state. She created and led the strategic plan for Tennessee Succeeds, which aimed to increase college and career readiness for students.

Gibbs currently serves as the Principal of Warner Elementary School in East Nashville. Gibbs’ efforts to grow access and resources at his school became nationally recognized through NPR’s podcast, The Promise. He was also recognized as Principal of the Year by his peers and MNPS in 2020. Gibbs is respected throughout the Nashville community for his commitment to education, development and support for educators as well as his involvement in the East Nashville community.

“Ensuring that all of our children receive a world class education has to be a priority for everyone,” says Gibbs. “I am thankful for the Titans leadership in uniting our city to tackle issues of community building together.”

Matthews and Beverly will serve as the Titans’ Representatives on the committee, with Matthews serving as Committee Lead. Matthews joined the Titans in 2022 as Program Director and was promoted to Vice President and Executive Director of the Titans Foundation in 2023. She is a Nashville native and graduate of TSU. Beverly joined the Titans in 2019 and serves as Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer. With Matthews, he will work with committee members to strengthen external partnerships and provide strategic direction.

“We are honored and so thankful to our first-year committee members for their willingness to help us make ONE Community the most impactful initiative it can possibly be,” Matthews states. “They each share our passion to create generational change for one person, one family and one community at a time, and we are confident that their experience and expertise in their fields will help us accomplish that goal.”

Since the announcement of ONE Community back in October, initial letters of intent with each organization have been finalized into binding community partnership agreements. Several programs have launched their initial plans including:

  • Project Destined: Project Destined recently completed its first cohort with the ONE Community platform. Students had the opportunity to learn from industry leaders through a virtual internship program/adult professional program focused on real estate and stadium development.
  • MNPS Girls Flag: MNPS’ inaugural girls flag football season began in late March, with 15 high schools participating. The Titans hosted a launch event for athletes from all schools where they heard from female leaders of the team about career opportunities in sports and received a tour of the stadium with the surprise of their uniform reveals waiting in the team’s locker room.
  • Cheatcode Foundation: The Titans worked collaboratively with Experience Mental Health, Inc. to host the inaugural Relate to Athletes mental health conference for student-athletes at Nissan Stadium. The foundation was featured to address mental health awareness and access for athletes.
  • Tennessee State University (TSU): One of the Titans’ longest community partners, Tennessee State’s ONE Community program has recently hosted a professional development panel with Titans leadership and support during auditions for the renowned TSU Sophisticated Ladies. The university will also offer a course this upcoming May that will be supported and led by Titans professionals.
  • Bud Adams Fellowship Program: Recently opened for applicants on April 24, the Bud Adams Fellowship Program is a paid opportunity designed for highly motivated individuals looking to be sports and entertainment industry leaders. Up to 15 fellows will be selected in a competitive application and interview process. For more information, click here.

Titans Welcome High School Coaches & College Recruiters For Annual Recruitment Fair

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Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans and the Tennessee Football Coaches Association recently hosted their annual High School Recruiting Fair at Nissan Stadium. Over the past seven years, many high school students have been given the opportunity to play football at a collegiate level. 

This year’s event welcomed more than 140 Tennessee high schools, as well as participants from 55 NCAA/NAIA colleges and universities across 17 states.  

Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Titans

The recruiting fair aims to provide additional exposure for high school student-athletes across the state, increasing their chances to play football at the collegiate level. Bringing these groups together allows colleges and universities with limited recruiting budgets to better evaluate the talent the state of Tennessee has to offer.

“Participating in collegiate athletics and while pursuing a college degree, opens doors of opportunity for young people in Tennessee. There is tremendous value in connecting our high school coaches with college coaches from around the country looking for the best talent on the field and in the classroom,” says Josh Corey, Titans Senior Director of Marketing & Social Responsibility. “In our seventh year, we continue to see amazing success stories of opportunity through the relationships being cultivated during today’s event.”

High school coaches in attendance had the opportunity to speak with recruiters one-on-one, while displaying game film and evaluating bios, transcripts and test scores for all prospective recruits. High school coaches must be a member of the Tennessee Football Coaches Association to participate. 

Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Titans

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is watching student athletes succeed at the high school level and advance to pursue a college education while playing the sport they love,” says Coach Matt Bates, Tennessee Football Coaches Association President, and Assistant Head Football Coach/Head Wrestling Coach at Hardin Valley Academy. “Partnering with the Titans on this fair gives us an opportunity to connect coaches from across the country with superior talent they otherwise may not encounter – opening doors for both players and schools.” 

The High School Football Recruiting Fair is one of many events and programs under the Tennessee Titans Football Development Initiative, which is committed to addressing the needs of youth and high school football organizations across Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabama.

Tennessee Volunteer Legend Eric Berry Named 2023 Tennessee Sports Hall Of Fame Inductee

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Eric Berry. Photo: Tennessee Athletics

University of Tennessee Football legend and former NFL All-Pro Eric Berry has been named the 12th and final member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

“Eric Berry was a heralded football player at every level of competition, and he is an incredibly worthy inductee,” says Brad Willis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “Eric’s play, however, is only part of his story, and he inspired millions with his fight with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and his return to football just one year later. We’re very excited to have Eric Berry as part of our 2023 Class of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.”

Berry, a Fairburn, Georgia native, was ranked the No. 3 player in the nation coming out of high school. He attended the University of Tennessee from 2007-2009, where his play earned him All-SEC honors and unanimous All-American picks in 2008 and 2009 as well as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008, the Jack Tatum Award in 2008 and 2009 and the Jim Thorpe Award in 2009. Berry declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season and was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. Berry played nine seasons for the Chiefs, becoming a three-time All-Pro, and a five-time Pro Bowler.

In 2014, Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and missed the remainder of the season. He returned in 2015, and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Berry was released by the Chiefs in 2019, after an Achilles injury costed him large portions of the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

He joins former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck, former Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph, former Tennessee Volunteer and NFL lineman John Henderson, former Nashville Predators Captain Mike Fisher, Memphis Football linebacker Tim Harris, Vanderbilt basketball trailblazer and former TSU Athletics Director Teresa Lawrence Phillips, MTSU baseball legend Steve Smith, golfer Loren Roberts, Bristol Motor Speedway Co-Founder Carl R. Moore, ETSU Basketball Coach and Athletics Director Les Robinson and Lady Vol Track star and Olympic Gold Medalist Tianna Madison as 2023 Inductees.

The induction ceremony, presented by the Tennessee Titans, will be held Saturday, July 22nd at the Omni Nashville Downtown.

NFL Reveals New Quarterback-Specific Helmet To Help Combat Head Injury

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Graphic courtesy of VICIS

The NFL and NFL Players Association have announced a quarterback-specific helmet will be available for the first time for the 2023 season. Half of all QB concussions occur when their helmets hit the ground. This helmet will reduce the severity of those specific impacts.

The VICIS ZERO2 MATRIX QB performed seven percent better in quarterback-specific testing than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season.

Helmets designed for the experiences of specific position groups is the latest innovation in the advance of helmet technology. Position-specific helmet designs take into account the unique locations and speeds of head impacts for each position group to offer players more customized protection. The league shares a wide range of game impact data with helmet manufacturers to inform their enhanced designs, including data from mouthguard sensors and advanced video footage. Position-specific testing will be extended to additional positions in the coming years.

Graphic courtesy of VICIS

The addition of a QB-specific helmet follows the introduction in the 2021 season of an offensive and defensive linemen-specific helmet. Two OL and DL-specific helmets now top the 2023 NFL-NFLPA helmet rankings.

“Helmets customized to the unique experiences of a position group promotes player safety,” says Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety. “This is the next evolution in a rapidly advancing market for improved helmets. We’re proud to share the data necessary to design and build better equipment.”

Jointly appointed biomechanical engineers ranked 50 helmet models, including three new models. Two of the new models ranked in the ‘Top-Performing’ group, continuing a rate of improvement in helmet performance that has increased by nine times since before the start of the helmet testing program in 2015.

Graphic courtesy of VICIS

Rate of innovation is evidenced by helmets’ rankings over time: Seven helmets that were in the Top-Performing group in 2020 are now Newly-Prohibited for the season ahead. As part of an NFL-NFLPA policy, Not Recommended and Newly-Prohibited helmets may only be worn by players who wore those helmets during the 2022 NFL season. No players will be permitted to wear the Newly-Prohibited models starting in the 2024 season.

Evidence of helmet innovation extends beyond the 2023 rankings released today, as demonstrated by the three awardees of the NFL Helmet Challenge, a $3 million competition designed to accelerate helmet performance and safety for NFL players.

Report: Titans Sign Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons To Four-Year Deal

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Jeffery Simmons. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

After a lot of waiting, speculating and doubt, the Titans under general manager Ran Carthon have signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to a four-year contract extension, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport.

The deal is reportedly worth $94 million with $66 million guaranteed, according to the report. This is Carthon’s first major deal a since taking on the job as the Titans GM.

Simmons has become one of the most important players for Tennessee, being a key member of their defense. Last season, Simmons had a total of 53 tackles with 24 solo tackles and 7.5 sacks in 15 games. In 2021, he had 46 total tackles but had 34 solo tackles with 8.5 sacks. He was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022 for his excellent season, solidifying himself as one of the best defensive lineman in the league.

The Mississippi State alum had some fun with fans on Twitter by Tweeting, “Titans Nation, thank you for the last 4 years! I am so grateful for you guys…..” signaling his departure from the team but immediately posting another Tweet celebrating his contract extension.

Next up for the Titans is the 2023 NFL Draft between April 27-29 where they hold the No. 11 overall pick. A lot can happen between now and then, including the possibility of the Titans trading up. There are already rumors about the Titans trading up to the No. 3 spot to try to draft a quarterback, but as of right now, it seems their top priority is to draft an offensive lineman with the 11th pick.

Metro Council Postpones Titans Stadium Vote After Sports Authority Approves Deal

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Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

The final steps in the approval of the Titans stadium deal has been paused at the moment after Metro Council postponed Wednesday (April 5) morning’s vote. The council spent Tuesday night in discussion and debate over the deal which would allow taxes mostly from tourism to help fund the $2.1 billion stadium.

On Tuesday morning (April 4), the Metro Sports Authority unanimously voted to approve the Titans stadium deal, sending it to Metro for the final vote and approval.

“We would like to say thank you to the Titans for your approach to working with us, your willingness to sit down and to help us find common ground. Everyday this board works very hard to represent the citizens of Nashville and to make sure we make informed decisions that work to the benefit of those we represent,” said Sports Authority Board Chair Cathy Bender in Tuesday’s board meeting.

During Metro Council’s debate last night, the council narrowly passed an amendment changing the “team rent” portion of the agreement where an additional three percent from each non-NFL event ticket would go to Metro’s general fund. This percentage would increase one percent each year, not to exceed 10 percent, according to The Tennessean.

Metro will have their second vote on April 18, with a special meeting to take place at the end of the month so the council can cast a final vote on the deal.

If passed and signed into law by Mayor John Cooper, the stadium funding will be supported by $760 million by Metro debt and repaid through an increase to the city’s hotel tax and sales tax redirects from the stadium and the surrounding campus.

Titans Name SeatGeek As Official Primary Ticketing Partner

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The Tennessee Titans are moving on from TicketMaster and have named SeatGeek as their official primary ticketing partner starting April 1, 2023. The new deal marks SeatGeek’s sixth NFL partnership as its Official Ticketing Partner, starting with the 2023 season. SeatGeek’s innovative technology will also power all concerts and other events in Nissan Stadium, excluding any events already on sale prior to April 1.

“We’re in the business of making memories, and live events have an incredible capacity to bring people together and mark those special moments in time,” says Titans Chief Revenue Officer, Adam Nuse. “When looking for a new ticketing partner, we knew we needed a like-minded team that looked beyond the technology of today – a partner that could evolve alongside us, creating innovative products for today’s fans, but also for generations to come. We are confident SeatGeek will provide our fans with a superior live event experience that perfectly exemplifies the spirit of Tennessee.”

Fans entering Nissan Stadium will take advantage of SeatGeek’s premier mobile app to create the ultimate live event experience. Fans can use SeatGeek’s Deal Score algorithm to seamlessly browse the best prices for the best tickets, allowing them to buy with confidence and save money in the process. By leaning into SeatGeek’s Rally technology, the Titans will improve game-day communication with fans and make stadium entry faster and more convenient with digital scanning to get more fans in seats before kickoff.

As part of the deal, SeatGeek’s backend technology platform, Unify, will help the Titans and venue staff manage their sales and inventory efficiently to deliver a customized live event experience for today’s fans, with SeatGeek’s vertically integrated platform helping the team capture better economics.

“Nashville is an extraordinary city, filled with some of the country’s most passionate sports and music fans, and we’re thrilled to be part of its culture,” says Danielle du Toit, President at SeatGeek. “The Titans and venue staff at Nissan Stadium are looking years into the future, implementing state-of-the-art technology that will impact the live event experience for today’s fans and the fans of tomorrow. With our comprehensive customer database and fan-first features, we’re excited to help the Titans usher in the next generation of football fanatics and concert-goers, exceeding the expectations of fans stepping off Broadway and into the stadium.”

SeatGeek showed remarkable success in 2022, announcing 16 new partnerships with premier leagues and organizations, including the Utah Jazz, Baltimore Ravens, United Soccer League (USL), New Mexico United, NHL’s Florida Panthers, and two football clubs in the UK, Leeds United and Watford F.C. The company also recently announced marketplace partnerships with Major League Baseball (MLB) and Paciolan, the largest ticketing company in college athletics, expanding SeatGeek’s reach to new audiences.

Titans Add Three New Assistant Coaches

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Photo: Courtesy of Gary Glenn/Tennessee Titans

As the Titans continue to build their roster during this offseason, Head Coach Mike Vrabel is also rebuilding his coaching staff, adding three assistant coaches this week.

Vrabel has hired Matt Jones as an offensive line assistant coach as well as Tom Quinn and Anthony Levine as special teams assistant coaches.

Jones spent the past four seasons at Tennessee-Martin, where he served as run-game coordinator, offensive line coach and tight ends coach. Prior to joining UT-Martin, Jones had stops as an offensive line coach at Texas Southern (2017-18), Jackson State (2016), Tulane (2014-15), Avila University (2011-12) and the University of Saint Francis (Illinois) (2002-10), and as a tight ends coach at Villanova (2013).

He will work under new Titans offensive line coach, Jason Houghtaling, and alongside assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan.

Quinn was a long-time special teams coach with the New York Giants, where he served from 2006-2021. Quinn worked under four Giants head coaches, and was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams. Prior to joining the Giants, Quinn served as a special teams coach in the college ranks at Stanford, San Jose State and James Madison, and also worked on staffs at Davidson, Holy Cross and Boston University.

Levine played 10 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was a special teams ace. Levine was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in Baltimore. He played a total of 146 games and recorded 62 special teams stops, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. As a safety, he tallied five starts, 149 tackles and two interceptions. He will work under Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman.